This single volume introduces the reader to the most important methods of biblical criticism by giving equal time to historical and literary approaches. Each chapter addresses five sets of issues: (1) definition of the method, important terms and concepts, the history of its development, assumptions made about the relationship of text and history, and prospects for the future; (2) the method in relation to others discussed in this book; (3) the method in action, with reference to a particular text in either Genesis or Luke-Acts; (4) the drawbacks of the method; and (5) suggested reading for those who wish to study further.
Chapter topics include reading the Bible historically, by J. Maxwell Miller; source criticism, by Pauline Viviano; tradition-historical criticism, by Robert A. Di Vito; form criticism, by Martin J. Buss; redaction criticism, by Gail Paterson Corrington; social-scientific criticism, by Dale B. Martin; canonical criticism, by Mary C. Callaway; rhetorical criticism, by Yehoshua Gitay; structural criticism, by Daniel Patte; narrative criticism, by David M. Gunn; reader-response criticism, by Edgar V. McKnight; the poststructuralist approach, by William A. Beardslee; and feminist criticism, by Danna Nolan Fewell.